Categories: Desserts
Ingredients
- Choux Pastry (profiterole pastry balls):
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup flour , plain / all purpose
- 4 eggs each with shell, at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- Filling Options (choose one):
- Custard (below)
- Ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Thick Custard Filling (Creme Patissiere):
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup white sugar , caster / superfine
- 1/2 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 1/3 cups milk , full fat best
- 1/4 cup extra white sugar , caster / superfine
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract or essence)
- Chocolate Sauce :
- 8 oz dark chocolate (or US semi-sweet)
- 1 cup cream
Directions
-
Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When mostly melted, add water then bring to a rapid simmer.
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While liquid is simmering, add flour and pinch of salt, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon (still on stove) until the dough forms sort of a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan (see video). About 1 minute.
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Remove from heat and let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 220C/420F (standard) or 200C/390F (fan/convection).
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Lightly grease 2 large or 3 standard baking trays with butter, then line with paper.
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Add 1 egg into batter, beat until combined. Add remaining eggs one at a time making sure each is combined before adding the next. Dough should be like a thick paste (see video).
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Place dough into a piping bag fitted with a 13 – 15mm round tip (1/2 – 3/5").
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pe 2 tsp blobs (about 1.7 cm/ 2/3" blob base) 5cm/2" apart (I do 16 on each tray). Makes 40 – 50 blobs.
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Wet your finger with water and pat down any peaks to form domes (for nice round balls).
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Bake 2 trays at a time for 15 minutes, switching the trays halfway.
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Remove from oven, reduce heat to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan).
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Pierce balls with knife then return to oven for 5 – 7 minutes until golden and crispy.
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Transfer to rack, cool fully before filling with custard, cream or split then fill with ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate and serve!
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Chocolate:
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Place cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 4 × 30 seconds, stirring in between, until incorporated. Cool to warm, then use for drizzling or dipping.
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Custard:
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Whisk yolks and sugar, then whisk in cornflour.
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Place milk, vanilla and extra sugar in a saucepan over medium high. Heat until just before simmering.
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Whisk in 1/4 cup hot milk into egg mixture. Whisk in another 1/4 cup. Then add remaining milk mixture and whisk.
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Pour back into saucepan. Return to stove on medium low (low for strong stoves). Whisk constantly 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thicks to a thick dolloping custard consistency.
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Remove from heat immediately, pour into bowl. Press cling wrap onto surface (stops skin forming) then refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours until set. Do not whisk again once set (loses thickness).
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Spoon into piping bag fitting with a very fine nozzle. Then pipe into profiteroles (use the hole pierced during bake, or make a new hole).